THE BEEF BREEDS OF CATTLE 213 
short from the eyes to the nostrils, and while it should be 
neat and refined, it must indicate good feeding qualities. 
The horns are short and rather fine, should curve grace- 
fully forward, and be waxy white in color, with dark 
tips. A “spike” horn is objectionable. The neck 
should be short and fine, and smoothly jointed to the head 
and shoulders. The 
shoulders are rather 
upright, and_ fre- 
quently inclined to be 
bare of flesh. The 
back should be 
straight, level and 
broad, and deeply 
covered with flesh. 
The strong feature in 
the make-up of the 
Shorthorn is the hind-quarter, which is said to be the best 
of any breed. The thighs are wide, deep and long, and 
well filled down in the twist. The line of the back of 
the thigh is nearly straight from the tail down, giving a 
characteristic squarely built appearance. As a rule, the 
body is deep, with a good heart and digestive capacity. 
The flanks should be well let down, making a nearly 
straight underline. The legs are medium length and of 
fine yet strong bone. The representatives of this breed 
have a great capacity for the production of flesh, and as 
they become fat there is a tendency to produce patches 
of fat about tail-head and rolls along the sides. 
A criticism of the breed that has been made in the past 
is that Shorthorns were too long in the legs. There was 
probably just ground for this criticism in the old type of 
Shorthorn, but since the breed has received such an in- 
Fic. 35.— A typical dual-purpose 
Shorthorn cow. 
